Lecture: Verbal Communication

Question 0

Be able to distinguish among types of verbal communication.

Answer 0

1. Verbal and vocal communication-speaking
2. Verbal and nonvocal communication
   
   • Writing-orthography
   • Emblems
   • Sign language-American sign language asl

Question 1

Be able to define verbal communication.

Answer 1

• Our use of symbols

- a symbol is anything that stands for something else.

Question 2

What is the difference between pragmatic, semantic, and syntactic approaches to understanding language?

Answer 2

A. Syntactic rules-grammar, structure of language at the grammatical level
B. Pragmatic rules-rules of use, how do we use language
C. Semantic rules-rules of meaning

Question 3

What is a phoneme? What is a morpheme?

Answer 3

Phoneme-the smallest unit of potentially meaningful sound any language. English is made up of about 44 different sounds.

Morpheme-the smallest unit of meaning in a language (cat vs cats).

Question 4

Be able to distinguish between denotation and connotation.

Answer 4

Denotation- Most commonly held meaning in a community of speakers.

Connotation- One’s historical experience or relationship with a particular sign.

Question 5

How do people use language to create and maintain groups?

Answer 5

• Jargon-a specialized language or vocabulary associated with a particular profession, it is formal
• slang-Vocabulary that draws together peer groups, it is informal
• argot- Language only accessible to the group. secret language. Use language to police the group we are in.
• register-Formal dimension. What counts as formal and informal language. What counts as formal language can mark different groups.

Question 6

What is linguistic relativity? Who was most associated with the idea? What is the difference between linguistic relativity and linguistic determinism?

Answer 6

Edward Sapir & Benjamin Lee Whorf

Linguistic relativity-the language we speak predisposes us through habitual use to experience the world in a particular way. a language’s grammatical structure influences us to see the world in different ways

Linguistic determinism-And because we speak a different language we WILL experience the world in a different way.